Bullroarers Used by the Australian Aborigines

Bullroarers Used by the Australian AboriginesAuthor(s): R. H. MathewsSource: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 27(1898), pp. 52-60Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and IrelandStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2842848 .

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52

BULLROARERS used by the AUSTRALIAN ABORIG1NEs. By R. H. MATHEWS, L.S., Corresponding Member Anithrop. Inst. of Great Britain.

[WITH PLATE VI.]

THE bullroarer has played a prominent part in the ceremonies of various peoples, amLong whom may be mentioned the ancient Greeks, the North American Indians, some of the native tribes of Africa, and the Maoris of New Zealand. Its history in other countries will not, however, be discussed in this paper, the purport of which is simply to place before the reader a short description of the various forms of Australian bullroarers, ac- companied by illustrative drawings. No comprehensive article of this character has hitherto appeared on the subject, so far as the writer is aware; and it is remarkable that even in our Australian Museums, all the different forms of bullroarers are not represented. In a number of papers on the initiation ceremonies' of various tribes, I have fully detailed the manner in which these instruments are employed on such occasiolls, which need not be again repeated in this memoir.

The bullroarers in uise among the aborigines of Australia are generally made of a thin piece of wood, but occasionally of bark, and are of different sizes, varying in width from less than an inch to as much as 4 or 5 inches, and differing in length from about 4 inches to 2 feet, or even longer. They are made tapering at each end, and are somewhat thinniier at the edges which are blunt, than in the middle. Some have serrated edges, like Fig. 5, while others are quite plain. Both sides of the instrument are generally convex, as irL Figs. 6 and 10, but in some instances one side only is made convex, anid the other either flat or slightly concave, as in Figs. 3, 4 and 15. In some cases a nick is made in the distal end of the bullroarer, resembling the letter V, as in Fig. 11. Others are ornamented on one or both sides by having devices carved upon them, similar to those seen on boomerangs, throwing sticks, and other native weapons (Fig,s. 1 and 2). Many of them are painted over with red ochre.

1 "The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Eaniilaroi Tribes," " JourIi. Anthrop. Inst.," xxiv, 411-427; Ibid., xxv, 318-339. "The BilrbAnng of the Wiradthuri Tribes," "Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xxv, 29a-318; lbid., xxvi, 266- 279. " The Keeparra Ceremony of Initiation," " Journ. Antlhrop. Inst.," xxvi, 320-340.



R. H. MATHEWS.-Bullroarers used by Australian Aborigines. 53

They generally have a small hole at one end, through which is fastened a string, made eitlher of the bark of certain trees, native flax, the fur of animals, or of human hair; and the string is sometimes as much as a dozen feet in lenglth. In some tribes, instead of fastening the string through a hole, it is tied to the end of the bullroarer in much the same way that a whip is tied to a handle. When this formn of fastening is used, one end of the bullroarer is made tapering to a long, nalrrow point, on which a small knob is left, to which the long string is bound by mieans of a finle cord. (Figs. 7 and 8.) In other districts there is a nick in the small end of the bullroarer, in line with the hole and close to it, as in Figs. 12 and 13, for the purpose of facilitating the attachment of the string.

Bullroarers are usually made of a piece of straight wood, but specimens are not infrequently met with which have a slight spiral twist, due i1l most cases, no doubt, to the warping of the wood after it is made; but in somne instances which have come under my inotice, it was evident that the wood had always had a natural twist in it, which the native had either been unable to remove, or did not attempt it.

Before proceeding to describe the bullroarers observed by miyself, it may be interesting to immake a few selections from other works, for the purpose of giving, my readers the descrip- tions recorded by various authiors as the results of their own observations, some of them dating back about fifty years. These selections, it is hoped, will not be consiclered unnecessary, because some of the books from which they are taken are now out of print, and others are not accessible except in a few libraries. It is thought, moreover, that collating, the information under one head, in the same book, will be found all advantage to the student. It should be stated, however, that the accounts of the bullroarers given in the works referred to, are of the most frag- menitary and ulnsatisfactory character, being iu some cases so indefinite as to throw uncertainity over the intended meaining. In makincg these quotations, I shall take some relating to each of the Australialn colonies, anid from localities widely separated, for the purpose of showing, the uniiversality of the use of the bullroarer at the initiation ceremonies of the aborigines throughout the continent.

Mr. C. Hodgkinson, in speakinia of the initiatory rites among the blacks of the Macleay anid Nanibucca riivers, New South Wales, savs: " Each man was provided with a singular instrument, formed of a piece of hollowed' wood fastened to a long,

1 The word "hollowed" is evidently intended to miean the hol'owing out of one side of the instrument, like Fig. 15.



54 R. H. MATHEWS.-Bullroarers used

piece of flax string."-" Australia from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay" (1845), p. 232.

Mr. Isaac Nathan says that at the ceremony of the Kibbarah [Keeparra] in the district of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, a bullroarer was used. It was " a flat piece of wood about a foot long, notched all over,' with a hole in one end, through which passed a string of Kurrajong bark as a laniard."-" Southern Euphrosyne" (1848), p. 100.

Mr. Charles Wilhelmi states that in tlle Port Lincoln district, County of Flinders, South Australia, this ilnstrument was called witarna. It was made of a piece of wood 18 inclhes in length, 4 inches in breadth, and a quarter of an inch in thickness. It was tied to a lolng string, anad the native swung it about his head, in such a manner as to produce a low rumbling sound at intervals, ceasing and returning at each effort of the performer." -"Trans. Roy. Soc. Victoria" (1860), vol. v, p. 172.

In describing the customs of the Mycoololl tribe, Flinders River, Queensland, Mr. E. Palnmer says: "The hlummilng stick, called mobolctht, used at Bora times only, is a flat piece of wood, 9 inches long, 2 inlches broad, and thill, tied to another stick, to warn the gins not to approach. No womaln is ever to see it, or any uninitiated youth."-" Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xiii, p. 295.

Mr. A. L. P. Cameron in alluding to the Buarbung ceremonies, among the Wiradjuri tribes oln the Lachlani and Lower Murrum- bidgee Rivers, New South Wales, descmibes the bullroarer as "a flat piece of wood, witlh serrated edges, alnd having a hole at one end to wlhich a string was attached."-" Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xiv, pp. 357 and 359.

Mr. A. W. Howitt says that among the Dieri tribes about Lake Eyre, South Australia, this ilnstruinenat is called yuntha, and(i is from 4 to 6 inches long, a sixteenth of an inch thick, and from 2 to 21 iniches wide. It has naotches at each side, and a smiall hole at one end, to which is attached a string about 10 or 12 feet long, made eitlher of niative flax or human hair.-"Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xx, p. 83.

In the Kimberley district of Western Australia, accordilng to Mr. W. W. Froggatt, the bullroarer is used at the ceremony of circumcisioln. "'The men are stationed round, whirling flat oval sticks, on which are carved curious symbols."-" Proc. Linna. Soc. N.S. Wales," iii, 2nd Series, p. 652.

At the Jeraeil or initiation ceremonies of the Kurniai tribe, Victoria, Mr. A. W. Howitt says that the bullroarer wiras used,

1 This " notching " probably refers t.o the nicks in the edges only; if not, the instrument must have had marks cut upon its flat surface like those seen on message sticks.



by the Australian Aborigines. 55

and was there called tq%ndain.-" Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xiv, pp. 301 and 313.

Mr. Wyndham states that, among the aborigines of the western parts of New England, New South Wales, " the principal man who presid ed over the Bora made a most terrific noise with a piece of bark, having a string through it, clut something like a boomerang."-" Journ. Roy. Soc. N.S. Wales," xxiii, p. 38.

The Rev. W. Ridley in "Kamilaroi and Other Australian Languages," pp. 140-141, states:-" This old nman (Billy, a very old black fellow of Burburgatel) told me as a great favour that other blacks had withheld as a mystery too sacred to be disclosed to a white nman, that Dhnrwrn?bulnrm, a stick or wand, is exhibited at the Bora, and that the sight of it inspires the initiated with manhood. This wancd wras the gift of Baiamai." At p. 156 he also says:-" A sacred wand, lDhurumibulum, given them by Baiarnai, is exhibited; anid the sight of this walnd, as waved by the old men in the sight of the candidates, inspires manly qualities."

Mr. R. B. Smyth, in his "Aborigines of Victoria" (1878), vol. ii, p. 285, says on the authority of Mr. Ridley:-" Amonga the ceremonies of the Bora is the exhibition of a sacred wanid, which they say was giveln to them by Baiamai, the sight of which is essential to impart manlhood."

In the " Journlal of the Royal Society of New South Wales" (1882), vol. xvi, p. 207, Dr. J. Fraser, in referring to the Bora, says: "At some part of the ceremony, he [the novice] is slhown a sacred wand." At p. 216, he speaks of " the magic wand that Ridley m-lenitions." Againi at p. 217 he says: "Tlie niext step in the process of iniitiationi is interesting; the boomribt [novice] is shown a sacred wand." The same author, in "Aborigines of New Soutlh Wales" (1892), pp. 13 andl 19, refers in somewhat similar terms to the " sacred wand."

There is no doubt in my minld that the "sacred wand" referred to by Mr. Ridley, and the other authors who hare copied from him, is id6ntical witlh the bullroarer. The great secrecy under which the iniformiiati-on was imparted to Mr. Ridley agrees exactly with the mliystery surrounding the ulse of that instrumelnt; the ulninitiated or the women are niot permitted to see it, or to use it under paini of death. Althougirh Mr. Ridley bad given muich attenition to the languages aild legends of the blacks, he does not seem to have been acquainitedt with the sacredness of the bullroarer, for we finid that he makes no reference to any other sacred instrument except the " stick

1 Burburgate is on the Namoi river about ten miiiles below Guninedah, N.S.W.. arid is in the lamilaroi country.



56 R. H. MATHEWS.-Bullroarers used

or wand." In niarrating the information obtained from Mr. Hornery, he states that "Each youth took up a piece of string with a bit of wood at the end, which he whirled round, with a whizzing sound, three times." Loc. cit., p. 154. I am inclined to think that if Mr. Ridley had known the important part assigned to the bullroarer in the ceremony, he would have recognised its identity with this " bit of wood at the end of a string," and would not have passed it over with this scanty allusion to it.

The " sticlk or wand " was " waved by the old men," whiclh corresponds exactly with the way in which the bullroarer is used. It was " at the Bora " that it was " exhibited; " and it was " the gift of Baiamai," which further confirms its identity with the bullroarer. It is also stated that this " stick or wand" was called Dhurumbulumn [Dhurramoolan], and that the blacls of Twofold Bay used this word for the name of 'their god (pp. 115 and 1.56). Among the Kamilaroi tribes who attended the Bora described by me in the "Journal of the Anthropo- logical Institute of Great Britain," xxiv, p. 419, the bullroarer was called murrawan, and the alternative name Dhurranmoolan; at the Burbung of the Wiradthuri tribes on the Macquarie and other rivers it is called m ldthega as well as Dhurramoolant; and among the Gooreenggai blacks of the Paterson river it is known by the names of mutdthinga and Dhurramoolan.

Among tlle three last mentiolned tribes, Dhurramoolan is a dreaded evil being who is supposed to attend at the initiation ceremolnies, and the sound of the bullroarer represents his voice, which is said to have resembled the rumbling of distant thunder, or the weird roar of the wind during a storm. Among the natives of the Macquarie and Bogan rivers, and other Wiradthuri tribes a small bullroarer, called moonibeaq,2 is used in addition to the larger one. It has a short string, which is fastenled to the thin end of a pliable stick resenibling the handle of a whip. It has a shrill sound which is easily distinguishable from the loud humming of the larger instrument. The noise made by the mioonibear is said to represent the voice of Dhurramoolan's wife.

To use the bullroarer, a beainner should attach to it a cord or string about 3 feet long, which he should catch in one hand, and swing the instrument with tolerable velocity round and round his head. The air will soon cause it to revolve rapidly on its own axis, in addition to the swingiing motion, when it will begin to make a weird humming or roaring souincl.

I " Journ. AntLrop. Inst.," xxv, p. 298, Plate XXVI, Fig. 38. 2 See my paper on " The BurbAng of the Wiradthuri Tribes," "Journ.

Anthrop. Inst.," xxv, p. 298, Plate XXVI, Fig. 39.



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BULLROARERS USED BY TRE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES.



by the A.ustraliac n Aborigines. 57

The spinning of the instrument on its axis in one direction will obviousl.y twist the string, which after a time recoils, and causes the spinning -to take place in the contrary direction, thus unwinding the former twisting, and continuing till it is twisted the other way as far as it will go, when it again com- mences to unwind, and once more chaniges the direction of the revolution of the instrumenit on its axis. This is repeated con- tinually during the performance. At each of these turning points, between the twisting and untwisting of the string, the sound momentarily ceases which causes the intermittent humming noise familiar to those who have heard the instrument in use. Variation in the intensity of the sound can also be made by swinging the instrument miore rapidly at one point of its circuit than at others. The learner can keep on increasing the length of the string until he can use the bull-roarer with 8 or 10 feet of ccrd attached to it. If the instrument does not commence to revolve on its axis after having been swung round the head a few times, allowina it to ligltly strike the ground will have this effect, and the humming sound will at once begin.

In using the moonibear it is only necessary to take hold of the hanldle, with the instrument hangiing freely on the end of its string, and whirl it round as if it were a whip. As soon as the instrumenit begins to revolve on its axis, it will give out a shrill, whizzing sound, which can be heard for a considerable distance at night when everything is still.

Explanation of Plate VI. The Australian bullroarers illustrated in this Plate are from the most repre-

sentative collection with-which I am acquainted. The figures are drawn simply as diagrams, showing the shape and outline of the several instruiments, without any shading to produce perspective. It is thought that accurate drawings of the various instruments will enable the student to more thorouglhly understand the copious written details of description. Those who) wish to become more fully acquainted with all the uses to which the bullroarer is applied by the Australian tribes can contain all the necessary information by a perusal of t'he several papers on Initiation Ceremonies referred to in the opening paragraph of this article, and elsewhere throughout the paper. Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. These drawings show the two sides and cross-sections of a

btllroarer used by the aborigines of the Oscar Ranges, Kimberley district of West Australia, courteously lent to nme b Mr. W. W. Froggatt in order that I might make a copv. The length of the instrument is 221i, inches; its breadth at the widest place 21 inches and its tlhick- ness -JL of an inch. There is a hole in one end for the string used in swinging it. One side is convex and the other flat,' a peculiarity

Several bullroarers wlichl I have seen from the Kimberley district were flat on one side, which was more or less elaborately carved into rectangles, ovals, and various patterns by means of straight or zigzag lines, both with the grainl of the wood and across it; the other side was slightly rounded, and had no earvings upon it.



58 R. H. MATTiEWS.-BUllroarerm used

I have before observed in bullroarers from West Australia. Fig. 1 represents tho drawings on the convex face; Fig. 2, those on the flat face; Figs. 3 and 4 being cross sections at the widest part. I was unable to ascertain the name of the wood out of which it is made.

Figs. 5 and 6. The bullroarer here shown was given to me by a Eamilaroi tribe on the Weir river, Queensland, and was used in mustering the tribes to attend a Bora at Tallwood, at which I was 'present.' It is nearly 112 inches long, 2-. inches wide, and 11L of an inch thick. It is made of mnazlga wood, and has six notches on each edge, not quite opposite each other, with a hole in one end for the insertion of the string. The instruments used at the Bora ring in the principal parts of the ceremonies were much larger than this one, being about 18 or 20 inches long, and made of belar wood.2

Fig. 7. This drawing represents the bullroarers used by the Wirndthuri tribes on the Macquarie, Bogan, and other rivers. It was given to me by the headman of a tribe on the former iiver, and was used in the Burbung ceremonies of his tribe.3 It is made of brigalow wood, and is nearly 133 inches loing, 21 inches wide, and k of an inch thick. A cross section through the widest part would be similar to Fig. 6, but correspondinglv larger. A string is fastened over the small knob at the tapering end, in the same way that a whip is fastened to its handle.

Fig. 8 is the small bullroarer or moonibear used by the same tribes as Fig. 7. It is made of sandal-wood, its length being 511 inches; its breadth 4 of an inch; and its greatest thickiiess -;L of an inch The stying and handle attached thereto, when given to me by the natives, were of the following measurements: The handle, made of mungal wood, 2 feet 7 inches long, and the string attached to it 2 feet 8 inches in length. The moonibear is sounded at the Burbung ground during the continu- ance of the ceremonies of initiation.

The form of the bullroarer shown in Figs. 7 and 8, representing the large and small kind, with the manner in which the string is attached to them, are in use over a large area, extending from the Macquarie to the Culgoa rivers, and probably farther north. Among the tribes on the Culgoa, the larger instrument is called wuddoolnurrcan, and the smaller, ghidjookcumbul, and both are used in exactly the same way as the mudthega and moonibear herein described.

Fig. 9. This drawinig represents the goonandhakeea of the tribes scattered over the country between the Hunter and Macleay rivers in New South Wales. It is used at the Keeparra and Dhalgai ceremonies in the manner described in my paper on the " Keeparra Ceremony of Initia- ti6on"4 The instrument illustrated is made of iron bark, and is L52 inches in length, and 3-7- inches broad. It is -76 of an inch through the thickest part, a cross section of which is given in Fig. 10. Thelre is a hole at the narrow end of the instrument for the insertion of the string.

Fig. 11 shows the mooroonga of the tribes occupying the Shoalhaven river arnd south-east coast of New South Wales, and is used at their initiati ' ceremonies in the way described in my paper on the Bunan.5 The drawing shows a mooroonga made of stringy bark wood, 13 inches long, 2 1 inches wide, and -5 or an inch thick. In the smaller end is

I " The Bora of the Xamilaroi Tribes," " Proc. Roy. Soc., Victoria," ix (N.S.)., 137-173.

2 A small buliroarer, called mooniburribean, similar in shape to Fig. 5, but plain at the edges, is also used at the Bora ceremonies.

J "Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xxv, 315: Loc. cit., 319. " Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xxvi, 320, 338.

5 " American Anthropologist," Wash., x.



by the Australian Aborigines. 59

a hole for the string, and at the wide end there is a large triangular- shaped notch cut out of the wood, a peculiarity I have also observed in the bullroarers (mudjeegang), used by the Wiradthuri tribes located on the upper Murrumbidgee river.

Fig. 12 represents the dkooanbooka or yoolundr!i, the bull-roarer in use among the Clarence and Riclhmond river tribes, and adjacent districts. Its lenath is 1 foot Ill inches, the breadth slightly over 41 inches, and its greatest thickness about 4 of an inch. Its form differs from any of the others shown on the plate, by having a nick cut in the small end for the purpose of facilitating the attachment of the string. One side of the instrument is of the usual convex form, whilst the opposite side is slightly hollowed or concave, as illustrated by a cross-section through the widest part of the instrument (Fig. 15). On the concave side is a shallow hole or pit about I- of an inch deep, above which are several transverse lines, extending almost the width of the instrunment. Along the median axis of the convex face of the bullroarer are about half-a- dozen V-shaped devices, with the apie,es pointing towards the larger end, and on each side of these marks are one or more rows of dots. As the large and small bullroarers used by the tribes mentioned are both marked in a sinmilar manner, the carving on the convex side of the dkhalguigun is shown in Fig. 13, in order to save giving duplicate drawings of each instrument.

Fig. 13 is a drawing of the dhalgu2'tgun, or small bullroarer, equivalent to the moonibear (Fig. 8), anid is used by the same tribes as Fig. 12. The instrument illustrated is 5 inches in length, lnearly an inch in breadth, and cl of an inch in thickness, and is made of myrtle wood. The lhandle and string attached to it when iii use are somewhat shorter than those attaceled to Fig. 8. It is likewise rounded on one side, and slightly hollow ed on the other as in Fig. 15, and has the same charac- ters carved upon it as the larger instrument.

In some of the bullroarers which have a niick or notch in the end to which the string is attached (as in Figs. 12, 13), there are also a few small projections, somewhat resembling the teeth of a saw, on both edges of the instrunient, about on a level with the hole, or slightly in advance of it. When the string or sinew is passed through the hole, it is also twisted round the bullroarer, and the raised teeth referred to prevent its slipping, aind make the fastening more secure.

Fig. 14. This drawing shows the gheewarra or ngaranya, the small bullroarer used at the initiation ceremonies of the tribes occupying the Macleay and Bellinger rivers, on the north-east coast of New South Wales. The length is 41 iniches, the breadth {5 of an inch, and its thickness 8 of an inch. It is attached to a handle and has a short string, and is used in precisely the same manner as the moonibear.1' These tribes also use a larger instrument called yeernboomul, wlhich is similar in all respects to Fig. 9 already described, and therefore a separate illustra- tion of it is not necessary.

It is unnecessary to add that there is no fixed size for either the large or snmall kinids of bullroarers aimong any of the tribes. The larger the instrument the louder the sound, provided it be properly made, hut at the same time it is harder to swing it,

1 " Journ. Anthrop. Inst.," xxv, 298, Plate XXVI, Fig. 39.



60 R. H. MATHEWS.-Bullroarers used by Australian Aborigines.

and the wear upon the string is increased by the greater weight. Generally speaking, a bullroarer from 1 foot to 18 inches in leingth is found sufficiently large for all purposes. Bullroarers of the mnoonibeatr type are made just heavy enough to give them the necessary impetus through the air.

Among the iiative tribes near Townsville, aind other parts of the eastern coast of Queensland, I have seen bullroarers made of a thin flat piece of wood resembling a parallelog,ram in shape, with the corners slightly rounded off. Aniother peculiarity of these inistrumnents was that the end containing the hole througl whichl the string was inserted was slightly wider and heavier than the other end. They were about 1 foot loneg and 2 inclies wide, of the usual thickness, anid were bevelled off towards the. edges, wlhich were blunt like those illustrated in this paper. The strilngs were generally miiade of humnan hair.



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Bullroarers Used by the Australian Aborigines